Factors related to the likelihood of grade inflation at community colleges
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Steven Talmadge Heulett (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
- Advisor
- Meagan Karvonen
Abstract: A number of studies have documented a trend of higher grades awarded by
postsecondary institutions in both the United States and Canada over the last two
decades. Grade inflation in higher education is a potentially costly problem for a variety
of reasons, but little empirical research about the causes of grade inflation has been
conducted. This study investigated multiple potential factors related to the likelihood of
grade inflation by faculty members at community colleges. These factors included
perceptions of student evaluations of teaching (SETs), perceptions of job security,
perceptions of student complaints, experience with grading practices, perceptions of
student nuisance, and instructors’ empathy with students. Additionally, the possibility
that factors related to the likelihood of grade inflation influence adjunct and full-time
instructors differently was tested. An electronically-distributed survey was employed to
measure the perspectives of 336 instructors at seven community colleges in three states.
Complex models did not predict likelihood of grade inflation, but differences were found
between some factors for instructors in high and low likelihood of grade inflation groups. Instructors in the low likelihood group perceived higher levels of both student complaints
and student nuisance than instructors in the high likelihood group. Faculty status was
found to affect the influence of perceptions of student evaluations of teaching (SETs),
perceptions of job security, perceptions of student complaints, and experience with
grading practices on likelihood of grade inflation. The results of this study suggest that
additional research should elucidate the potential connections between instructors’
perceptions of student nuisance and student complaints and the phenomenon of grade
inflation. Furthermore, additional work is needed to determine what effects SETs have
on instructors’ careers and the perceptions of instructors regarding those effects. The
results of this study potentially inform the practice of using faculty professional
development to educate instructors about the process of grading. Specifically,
institutions should explicitly define the intended functions of grades prior to establishing
a system for determining grades. These institutions should also provide guidance to
instructors so that all agents in the grading process are using these symbols of student
performance in a consistent manner. Faculty should engage in the conversation about
appropriate functions of grades and more consistent methods for determining grades.
Finally, administrators should exercise caution in the interpretation of feedback from
students in the forms of student evaluations of teaching and student complaints,
particularly as used in the supervision of adjunct instructors.
Factors related to the likelihood of grade inflation at community colleges
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Created on 3/1/2013
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2013
- Keywords
- adjunct faculty, grade inflation, grading practices, job security, nuisance, student evaluations
- Subjects
- Community college students -- Rating of -- United States -- Case studies
- Community college teachers -- United States -- Attitudes -- Case studies